Mabea caudata Pax & K.Hoffm.

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett. 1967. The botany of the Guayana Highland--Part VII. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 17: 1-439.

  • Family

    Euphorbiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Mabea caudata Pax & K.Hoffm.

  • Description

    Distribution and Ecology - British Guiana, Suriname, and Venezuela (Bolivar and Terri-torio Amazonas). BRITISH GUIANA. Tumatumaria, Potaro River, lat 5°20',Hitchcock 17380 (NY, US); Potaro Road, 8 miles, slender tree yielding milk, flowers yellow, Stockdale s.n.; upper Mazaruni River, Kurumpung, Leng 162; upper Mazaruni River, Kamakusa, Leng s.n.; Mahdia Creek, Potaro River at 108 miles Bartica-Potaro Road, very common in Kakaralli clump, wallaba forest on lateritic ironstone soil, F 749 (F.D. 3485); Membaru-Kurupung Trail, Cunuria forest, Maguire &' Fanshawe 3:2422; rare, Cunuria forest, alt 1000 m, Maguire & Fanshawe 32397. SURINAME. Tafelberg, slender shrub, low bush, vicinity Savannah No. 3, Table ML, Camp No. I, Maguire 24260; slender tree, 5 m high, 4 cm diam, low bush 1.5 km S of Savanna I, Maguire 24353, 24353a (NY, US); small tree, 7 m high, 5 cm diam., bark with white latex, lower side of leaves grayish-green, fruit pale yellow, washed red at base, Nassau Mt., along rapids at N side of range, Lanjouw & Lindeman 2879; Brownsberg, Herb. no. 3242. VENEZUELA. Bolivar: Rio Karun, 350 m, Alto Rio Paragua, Cardona 1234 (US); along Rio Karuai, at base of Sororopan-tepui, W of La Laja, alt 1220 m, Steyermark 60799; rainforest in valley lowland along Rio Ayaiche between Puerta Lema and base of Sierra, alt 300 m, Steyermark 89479 (US); Altiplanicie de Nuria, woods along trail between end of savanna E of Hato de Nuria and Quebrada Agua Linda, alt 540 m, Steyermark 86490 (US); Amazonas: Cerro Sipapo (Paraque), shrub to 3 m high, infrequent, mixed forest, vicinity Base camp, alt 200 m, Maguire A Politi 27958; Rio Cuao, Rio Orinoco, small tree 5 m high, occasional, alt 125 m, Maguire & Politi 28411.

  • Discussion

    M. caudata var concolor Lanj., Euphorb. Suriname 39. 1931.

    Type. Conawaruk River, British Guiana, A. TF. Bartlett 8217. Photo of Berlin spec. (NY).

    Type. Tree to 7 m high, flowers green to light yellow; leaves glaucous beneath. Cerro Negro Peron, on east-west crystalline range on right bank of Rio Parguaza just below El Carmen, alt 120-130 m, Bolivar, Venezuela, John J. Wurdack A Joseph V. Monachino 40981 (Holotype NY), 40982 (paratype).

    The last specimen is referred to M. parguazae only tentatively because of lack of flowers. The fruits are not quite ripe and are slightly carinate on the back of the valves. The vegetative parts match the type very well.

  • Distribution

    British Guiana, Suriname, and Venezuela (Bolivar and Terri-torio Amazonas).

    Guyana South America| Suriname South America| Venezuela South America|